Category: Recipes

Two recipes in a row? Well, yes, because I wanted to be sure to share this while it’s still cold outside and our bodies are craving warm foods!

My mom makes the BEST Chicken and Noodles. I grew up with this as a holiday staple and just started making it myself in the past couple of years because, as you probably know, it always tastes best when your mom cooks it.

Am I right?

So, last week my middle and I decided to whip up a batch for our family. It is a little time-consuming because you do hand-cut the noodles. BUT IT IS NOT DIFFICULT. And the process is actually fun when shared with someone you love.

Now, before I go any further I do want to let you know that I have all kinds of pictures of the steps involved in making this goodness, but none of the finished product because…

WE ATE IT.

My apologies.

But if you make it, you will understand.

Here you go!

Mom’s Chicken and Noodles

For the noodles…serves 3-4 (I double this for my family of seven, triple or quadruple for company! It tastes even better the next day. Trust me.)

1 egg

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup all purpose flour (plus more as needed)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and work together until it forms a small ball. Work in flour, kneading in thoroughly, until the dough is very dry and will not absorb any more flour. It must be very dry and stiff. Divide in two and roll each section as thin as possible. Then fold it over and begin rolling from one edge until you have what resembles a Swiss Cake Roll.

Not that I eat those.

Oh, who am I kidding? Swiss Cake Rolls defined much of my childhood…a perfect dessert after chicken and noodles, don’t you think?

Take a sharp knife and slice at alternating angles, making VERY thin slices. I actually should have made mine thinner. It gives you a better texture when they are cooked.Separate the noodles and lay them out on a flour-sack towel, covered with another, to dry overnight.

Doesn’t my girl have the prettiest hands?I love that she loves to help…Beats and all:)

Covered and ready to dry out overnight.

For the soup…this is where it gets good!

1 small whole chicken (or 2 lb bone-in thighs/breasts)

1 carton chicken broth

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

salt & pepper

flour for thickening

Boil the chicken until the meat is falling off the bone. Add a little salt and pepper to the water as it cooks. Reserve and strain the broth. Debone the chicken and either make bone broth with the leftover parts or toss ’em.

Bring the broth to a boil when you are ready to make the soup, adding salt, pepper and onion powder (if you like) to the broth just before adding the noodles. Once the broth is boiling add the dry noodles, one handful at a time, stirring to make sure they don’t stick together. Add more broth from the carton until the noodles have plenty of room to move around. Taste as you go and add salt/pepper to taste. Simmer until the noodles are cooked completely through and just firm to the bite. If the soup needs thickening, combine 1 Tablespoon (or more if you have made a big batch) of flour with 1/2-1 cup of cold water and whisk the lumps away. Add slowly, stirring constantly, to the chicken and noodles and simmer until the soup has the consistency you want.

Serve this simple, yummy concoction up in bowls with crusty bread and smile as your kids rise up and call you blessed.

We interrupt your weekend preparations with a recipe sure to make your mouth water, you pants tighter, and your family rise up and call you blessed!

Belgian Waffles, just like the ones found on a food truck in the Market of Stockel in Brussels, Belgium. Our family took a trip to Belgium a few years ago and these, my friends, were some of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth. After we arrived home I had to recreate them. I perused countless recipe sites and blogs, finally finding one that was close and tweaking it until I achieved perfection. Even our friends who lived in Belgium, when they came home for a visit, tried them and pronounced them “spot on!”

They have become a staple of our holiday celebrations. We enjoy them on Thanksgiving morning, Christmas Eve, New Year’s and even Easter. They are tres delicieux!

So, without further adieu, I give you the REAL Belgian Waffle. (Do not be fooled by the IHOP, frozen or other versions. They are not even CLOSE!)

Directions:
Sprinkle the yeast and white sugar over warm milk in a small bowl. The milk should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 15 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
Whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the yeast mixture until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Gently mix in the pearl sugar.

Then (DO NOT skip this step. It is the secret to the hot, doughy center and crispy outer layer!) roll the dough into baseball sized portions and place them on a cookie sheet lined with foil. You will have between 8-12 dough balls depending on how big you make them.

Do you see the little pearl sugar chunks? I’m telling you, they are about to turn into golden nuggets of bliss!

Refrigerate at least two hours, overnight if possible.

When you are ready to cook these lovelies…
Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Place a ball of dough on the preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.

Repeat with the remaining dough balls. As you cook subsequent waffles, the sugar will begin to caramelize and the last waffle will be even more tasty than the first. But don’t tell your kids.

I can hardly wait.

Pretend you are being selfless and going last out of loving sacrifice for your hungry tribe. It is worth the wait, I promise!

Allow the waffles to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. You can top them with fruit, whipped cream, etc. but, honestly, mine have never lasted long enough to be topped with anything! They just go straight to our bellies!